Client devices in present day communication systems provide a variety of services to their users. For wireless client devices such as cellular telephones, these may include services such as web browsers, direct access to certain web sites, phone calling, push-to-talk (PTT) broadcast calling, point to point calling, online contact list management, etc. When a new cellular phone is obtained by a user in a consumer oriented cellular communication system, a set of services is typically enabled that is selected as a package that has a particular monthly charge. The set of services is typically a subset of services that are installed in the cellular phone before the user obtains the phone. The set of services is provided to the user by the service provider, who enables those to which the user subscribes, e.g., those for which he/she pays. Subsequent to the initial provisioning of the device, services may then be added or deleted by the user, either by the service provider enabling or disabling services that are already installed in the phone, or by the user downloading a service on an individual basis. In most client devices of cellular or other non-consumer types, there may be a list of some or all of the available services. In enterprise or government systems, the set of services that the user can use may be tightly controlled by the system operator. For example, a public safety agency may have a specified set of services related to the type of job the user does, and the agency may prevent the user by policy from using any but the specified set of services, or certain types of services (i.e., no games allowed).
In present day client devices, the acquisition of the set of services installed in the device is generally accomplished by their inclusion in a software package that is locally installed into the client device before it is made available to the user. In the case of many different types of systems, this may be a package that is installed by the client device manufacturer. The set of services is then typically managed by enabling or disabling individual services or by downloading a service map of services that can be accessed by a particular client device, and their appearance in the user interface. Enabling a service may be preceded by downloading some software that provides the service when it is not in the client device. However, when a set of services needs to be provided to a set of client devices that may or may not be pre-authorized to use some or all of the services, the present processes for enablement or disablement of service are inadequate.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.